Spanner wrench



Oct. 12, 1965 E. L. SCHLAGE ETAL 3,211,029

SPANNER WRENCH Filed Jan. 27, 1964 INVENTORS ERNEST SCHLAGE BY JOHN A. TORNOE ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,211,029 SPANNER WRENCH Ernest L. Schlage, Burlingame, and John A. Tornoe, Redwood City, Calif., assignors to Schlage Lock Company Filed Jan. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 340,400 Claims. (Cl. 81-90) This invention relates to spanner wrenches and more particularly to an improved spanner wrench especially adapted for tightening and loosening the rose bushing of a lockset.

In many door lock assemblies, especially of the heavy duty type, the inner escutcheon or rose which surrounds the lockset spindle is clamped against the door by means of a bushing rotatably mounted on the rose. Since said bushing and the associated rose and bushing hub are highly finished, there is always the danger present that the operation of tightening the bushing will cause the visible finished surfaces to be scratched or otherwise marred because of slipping of the spanner wrench.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of an improved spanner wrench which may be used for both loosening and tightening the rose bushing and which is formed so as to permit application of the required torque and at the same time obviate slippage of the tool while in operation.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a relatively inexpensive tool which may be employed for tightening and loosening the rose bushing of a lockset without any interference between the fingers of the user and the door on which the lockset is mounted.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the spanner wrench of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the inner knob and associated rose of a lockset showing the same installed on a door and showing the spanner wrench in operative position for tightening the rose bushing.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross section through the rose bushing, hub and spindle as taken in a plane indicated by lines 3-3 of FIG. 2 and showing the spanner wrench in operative position for tightening the rose bushing.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing a modified form of spanner wrench adapted to be employed with a frusto-conical rose bushing.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the invention comprises an elongated handle portion generally designated 1 and an integral head portion generally designated 2. The entire tool may be formed from a single stamping and, as best seen in FIG. 2, the head 2 and handle 1 are each substantially planar with the handle making an angle of about 15 degrees with the head.

The totol is symmetrical about a longitudinal plane and is formed with similar but opposite recesses 3, 4 each of which is adapted to receive a portion of the periphery of the rose bushing therein. At one end of each recess there is provided a projection 5 which is adapted to be received in the usual, relatively small diameter hole 6 (FIG. 2) formed in the rose bushing 7. At the opposite side of each recess from the projection 5 is a bearing element generally designated 10 and which consists of a lug struck from the metal of the stamping and bent to provide a bearing surface 11 which is adapted to engage the periphery of the rose bushing 7 at a point spaced circumferentially from the hole 6 (see FIG. 2).

The end of the head 2 opposite the handle 1 may be provided with a relatively small projection 14 for the purpose of depressing the knob catch (not shown) when it is necessary to remove or install the knob 15.

It will be noted tin FIG. 2 that the wrench is in a position for turning the bushing 7 in a clockwise or tighten- "Ice ing direction at which time the knob 15 may not, as yet, have been mounted on the lockset spindle 16 (FIG. 3). When it is desired to loosen the bushing 7 it is merely necessary to apply the wrench with the rose bushing partially received in the opposite recess 4 of the wrench so as to permit turning the wrench and the bushing in a counterclockwise direction. It will be understood that the rose bushing 7 is provided with threads (not shown) for threadedly engaging complementarily formed threads on hub 17 (FIGS. 2, 3).

It will be apparent that the outer end of the handle 1 that is remote from the head 2 is spaced a considerable distance from the door 19 in which the lockset is installed. Such spacing provides ample room for the fingers of the user so that the above described operation can be done with facility in a speedy manner. This advantage accrues whether the wrench is being rotated clockwise or counterclockwise.

From a consideration of FIG. 2 it will be seen that in addition to the turning moment which is applied about the axis of the bushing, there is a moment imparted to the bushing in a plane at right angles to said turning moment. This is due to the offset between the handle and the head. This last mentioned moment would tend to tilt or twist the wrench relative to the bushing unless great care were taken in operating the tool. In order to stabilize the wrench and obviate twisting of the same relative to the rose bushing and thereby prevent marring of visible surfaces, the bearing element 10 is formed to provide a portion extending laterally to the same side of the plane of head 2 as the handle 1. Thus, as best seen in FIG. 2, the bearing surface 11 extends up to the line of action between the hole 6 and the free end of handle 1. Such line of action is indicated at A in FIG. 2.

By the above described structure the wrench becomes stabilized so that there is no likelihood of the same shifting relative to the highly finished surface of the bushing 7. Furthermore, any tendency for the tool to slip and mar adjacent surfaces is completely obviated.

In FIG. 4 there is illustrated a modified form of the invention adapted to be used with a rose bushing 7' which is identical to the above described rose bushing 7 except that its outer periphery is formed to a frustoconical shape to provide a trimmer appearance. In this case the head 2 is provided with bearing elements 10' similar to those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 except that said elements are bent so that the bearing surfaces 11' are formed complementarily to the frustoconical rose bushing 7. In this manner ample bearing surface is provided to prevent excessive bearing stress on the rose bushing.

The above specific description of the preferred form of the invention should not be taken as restrictive as it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that minor variations in design may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A spanner wrench for use in turning a circular member about its axis comprising:

an elongated handle portion,

a head provided at one end of said handle portion,

said head including a holding element adapted to engage said member at a first point on the periphery of the latter,

a bearing element on said head adapted to engage the periphery of said member at a second point spaced circumferentially from said first point,

said handle being offset axially of said member to one side of said points, and

said bearing element including a portion offset axially of said member from said holding element to said one side.

2. A spanner Wrench for use in turning a circular member having a turning axis and provided with a radially outwardly opening hole comprising:

an elongated handle portion,

a generally planar head provided at one end of said handle portion,

said head including a projection adapted to be received in said opening and a bearing element adapted to engage the periphery of said member at a point spaced circumfierentially of said opening,

said handle being olfset at its outer end axially of said member and to one side of the plane of said head, and said bearing element including a portion offset axially of said member to said one side for engaging said member at a point spaced axially of said member from said opening.

3. A spanner wrench for use in turning a circular rotatable member provided with a radially outwardly opening hole comprising:

a substantially planar head formed of sheet material and adapted to be disposed substantially at right angles to the axis of said member and provided with a recess formed along one edge to receive a portion of the periphery of said member therein,

said head being formed to provide coplanar projection adapted to be received in said hole and a bearing element adapted to engage the periphery of said member at a point spaced circumferentially from said hole,

an elongated handle fixedly secured at its inner end to said head and offset at its outer end to one side of the plane of said head,

said bearing element including a portion ofiset to said one side of said plane to prevent shifting of said head relative to said member when turning torque is imparted to said member.

4. A spanner wrench according to claim 3 wherein said bearing element comprises a lug struck out of said head and bent to said one side thereof.

5. A spanner Wrench for use in turning a circular ro tatable member provided with a radially outwardly opening hole comprising:

a section of sheet material formed to provide a planar head and an elongated handle disposed at an angle to the plane of said head whereby the free end of said handle is offset from the plane of said head in a direction axially of said rotatable member,

said head being formed to provide a recess along one edge thereof to receive a portion of the periphery of said member therein,

said head being formed to provide a coplanar projection at one end of said recess and adapted to be received in said radially outwardly hole in said member,

a lug integral with said head at the other end of said recess and bent out of the plane of said head to provide a bearing surface adapted to engage the periphery of said member at a point thereon spaced circumferentially from said hole,

the outer free end of said lug extending to a point substantially on the line of action between said projection and the free end of said handle to prevent twisting of said wrench in a plane substantially at right angles to said head.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 666,131 1/01 Cordle. I 968,106 8/10 Zimmermann 81-120 2,334,069 11/43 Collins et al. 2,640,382 6/53 Grossman 81-119 FOREIGN PATENTS 783,913 4/35 France.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner. 

1. A SPANNER WRENCH FOR USE IN TURNING A CIRCULAR MEMBER ABOUT ITS AXIS COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED HANDLE PORTION, A HEAD PROVIDED AT ONE END OF SAID HANDLE PORTION, SAID HEAD INCLUDING A HOLDING ELEMENT ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID MEMBER AT A FIRST POINT ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE LATTER, A BEARING ELEMENT ON SAID HEAD ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE PERIPHERY OF SAID MEMBER AT A SECOND POINT SPACED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY FROM SAID FIRST POINT, SAID HANDLE BEING OFFSET AXIALLY OF SAID MEMBER TO ONE SIDE OF SAID POINTS, AND SAID BEARING ELEMENT INCLUDING A PORTION OFFSET AXIALLY OF SAID MEMBER FROM SAID HOLDING ELEMENT TO SAID ONE SIDE. 